Best debut albums of the new millenium

[NachoHat]

I suppose the thread title is fairly self-explanatory but I'll elaborate just because. What would you say have been the best debut full length albums (thus, no EPs, 7-inches, etc.) since 2000?

For me...


1) Interpol - Turn On The Bright Lights

I sorta feel sorry for Interpol. They made an album that's far too good for a debut and will probably end up being their defining work. Unless they top it, every album they release from now on will end up being labeled "It's good but it's no Turn On The Bright Lights" at best. Granted, I guess that's alright, since a lot of excellent bands have produced lots of good material that never reached the quality of their debut. Still, this album is just amazing.

2) Motion City Soundtrack - I Am The Movie

Now this is everything a debut should be. It establishes that the band is excellent and writes great songs but you know that, with a little effort, they can do better. Motion City Soundtrack is probably the best pop-rock (or pop-punk or whatever you wanna call them) to come out of the woodwork in years. I really have to wonder why they're not more popular, as one listen to I Am The Movie makes it abundantly clear that they should be.

3) Against Me! - Reinventing Axl Rose

Until I thought about this topic, I barely even realized that this album was, in fact, a debut. It really doesn't feel like one and nobody ever seems to mention it being one. I guess that's becuase AM! put out quite a bit of material before recording a full length and they've just been active in the scene for a while. Anyway, AM! is one of the only bands that truly achieves the strange balance of melodicism and hard punk rock (complete with barely intelligible singer!) these days.

4) Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand

I think everyone knows the deal with this album, so I won't bother going into detail.

5) Maxeen - Maxeen

Pop-punk + The Police = QUALITY. Who'd have thought? Not me. Anyway, I'll keep this short. This band rules, this album rules, their next album will probably rule much more.

[RD!]

I'll give it a shot:

1: The Return - Build Me a Reason: This is their debut album as far as I'm concerned since it was actually on a label and actually... exists. I can't get enough of this band, I've been nuts over them ever since the summer of 2003. So obsessed that countless hours have gone into searching for their older work (listed on their site). It's hard to find a bad song (though, it does seem to take people a few listens to really feel attatched) on the album. Will it be there defining work? I don't know. They have a new album coming out soon (i.e. whenever) but the songs I've heard off of it have been spectacular. Best part about relentlessly promoting this band is that I can link a free sample of the album off. =[

2: Frou Frou - Details: Gorgeous voice + great lyrics = great sound. I'm not usualy one for electronica (yet it's made it onto this list twice =[) but Frou Frou's talent and voice is just amazing. I found this album by extreme chance and I have never been disapointed with it once. She's gotten some popularity lately, being on two major movie soundtracks (Shrek 2 and Garden State) which hopefully means she'll release a followup album.

3: Anberlin - Blue Prints for the Blackmarket: As far as I know, this was their debut and man, what a powerful debut. So many great songs, I don't know if this will become their defining album but I think they have alot of potential to do better things. Though, I think I've listened to this album so much over a long period of time that no matter how good followup is it may just never touch it.

4: The Postal Service - Give Up: This has sort of become the token album in almost every list of albums I've made in the past 4 months, which is funny because I really didn't want to fall in love with it. More electronica, showing that I'm a massive hypocrite even more. Like Frou Frou's Details, Ben Gibbard's side project exhibits great (some of the best) lyrics and a great voice. Some bad songs, but the great ones really soar.

5: The Shins - Oh, Inverted World: I'm not sure when they stopped being Flake Music or what the whole situation with that was. But the Shins' debut album is undeniably great but not so great that it becomes their defining work. No matter how great their debut was, Chutes Too Narrow shattered it.

[SirLemming]

I think I'll have to wait until 2005 to post mine, due to the no EPs rule.

[NachoHat]

HOLY CRAP, I can't believe I forgot about the Postal Service. I definitely agree on that one. I've had it since late September and it's been in regular rotation since.

I've never heard Oh! Inverted World but I imagine it'd probably be on my list too if I had.

[Nik Jam]

I like Franz Ferdinand's Franz Ferdinand, but most of the music bands I like started in the 80s and 90s.

The Killers - Hot Fuss is great too.

I don't remember when Cursive started, and Muse and Interpol started in the late 90s so I can't include them

[Tapout]

I believe Kill I Oughta was released as an EP, so I'll go with Mudvayne's L.D. 50. Other than the lame interlude things the album is awesome from top to bottom and has my favorite song ever on it.

[Yengwa]

The Blood Brothers - This Adultery is Ripe

It was released in 2002 as their debut album. I think it's one of the best post-punk albums. Their other two CDs (Burn Piano Island Burn, and Crimes) evolve their raunchy post-punk hardcore even further. They really showed that punk can evolve past the same song structure that earlier bands established. And they also broke away from what everyone else has been doing in the last few years with this emo-punk crap, with sappy singing, emotional breakdowns, and a little bit of screaming (i.e. A Static Lullaby, From Autumn to Ashes, etc.). The Blood Brothers are creative, energetic, and just good musicians. I've loved their music ever since I first heard it. Have a listen if you're into this kind of stuff.

[NachoHat]

I don't remember when Cursive started

Probably sometime in the early 90s. I THINK their first album came out in '96 or so.

Muse and Interpol started in the late 90s so I can't include them

Muse, no, since Showtime came out in '99 (I think) but Interpol didn't release a full length until Turn On The Bright Lights in 2002.

The Blood Brothers - This Adultery is Ripe

It was released in 2002 as their debut album.

I'm pretty sure This Adultery is Ripe came out in like 2000 or so. March On Electric Children came out in 2002, though.

[Caffeine King]

Of the new millenium?

Alicia Keys, Kanye West, India Arie (don't have her CDs but she's ana amazing artist from some songs that I've heard by her,) did Musiq makes his debut in the new millenium? If so then him too...

I don't have any of his CDs either but all of the songs that he's put out that I've heard I've loved.

I do have both of Alicia Keys' CDs and Kanye West's debut CD.

[Xfox]

Audioslave- Even I can't believe I liked this album more than any Rage Against the Machine or Soundgarden albums.

Kenna "New Sacred Cow"- My obsession of 2003.

Sam Roberts "We Were Born In a Flame"- Not one bad song in the bunch.

Gorillaz- Extremely fresh and original.

Badly Drawn Boy "The Hour of Bewilderbeast"- Those Brits and their quirkiness.

The Music- I'm not sure what drew me into this band so much, but I can't get over their classic rock sound.

Butterfly Boucher "Flutterby"- Finally! A pop/rock album that's also cool.